Meditation: The 10 Building Blocks to a Successful Practice

     Several weeks ago, my acupuncturist Erin, suggested that I begin a meditation practice as a way to quiet my mind.  Throughout my life, I have had a consistently active mind that tends to wander, whether I am getting a massage, trying to fall asleep, or even receiving an acupuncture treatment.  Erin handed me a copy of a blog post titled: How to Meditate: A 10 Step Beginner’s Guide (March, 2011).  This article provides to the novice “student” of meditation, the basic building blocks with which to begin a practice.

     It has been 3 weeks since I started to follow this advice and I have already noticed small changes.  My quality of sleep has improved (not necessarily the length), my mind does not wander as much when I am falling asleep, and I now drift off during an acupuncture treatment or massage session.  Each heading in today’s post comes from the beginner’s guide I mentioned.  However, I am going to describe to you how I meditate, which may be slightly different from the blog.  Click on the link above to find the original instructions on meditation.

Sit Tall

Chakra Stones on the body

     I have found that I am most comfortable while lying down versus sitting tall.  I place pillows under my head and knees for comfort.  Next, I place Chakra stones on the corresponding areas of my body.  Starting at the Root, and working my way up to the Crown chakra.  If it is cold, I cover myself with a blanket.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Relax your body

     As a way to relax my body, I close my eyes and imagine that I am floating on top of the buoyant Hawaiian Pacific Ocean.  My muscles begin to lose tension and relax, as I “float out to sea”.

Be still and silent

     I do not lie in perfect silence as I listen to meditation music on my IPod.  It is at this point that I become mesmerized by the music, and begin to feel the active energy of the stones that lie on top of my body.  I take a mental note of which chakras are most active during the session, but do not react or try to change what is happening.

Breathe

     Next, I begin to focus on my breathing.  As you may recall from last week, I spoke about concentration meditation as the basis for all other forms of meditation.  The breath can be a powerful tool to center your session.  I start by taking a deep breath in through my nose, exhale silently through my mouth, and repeat this 5 times.  Make sure that the inhale/exhale cycles are equal in length.

Establish a mantra

    Mantras are sounds, words, or utterances that can be repeated throughout your session.  This is yet another way to bring focus to the practice.  Erin always leaves the treatment room with these instructions (which has become my mantra) as my acupuncture session begins: “Relax, breathe deeply, and go where the Spirit takes you”.

Calm your Mind

     There are many days when my mind is so active that it takes to the end of my meditation practice to become focused on my mantra. In this situation, you need to acknowledge the thoughts, set them aside, and return to the mantra.  As I have progressed with my meditation, I have noticed that the scattered thoughts are not as frequent.  When I focus on the energy that is released from the stones, my mind becomes steady and silent.



Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

When to end your practice

     Because my mind can be so active, I could not meditate for longer than 1 or 2 minutes.  After 3 weeks of steady practice, my session has lengthened to anywhere between 20 and 45 minutes.  If my mind is abuzz, then the session is shortened once again.

How to end your practice

     I end the practice by opening my eyes and turning off the music.  Next, I remove the stones in the reverse order in which they were placed.  I then slowly sit up and reflect for a couple of minutes, before standing.

Practice often

     I reserve a time each day (usually in the morning) to meditate.  If my day is very busy, I may only have 5 to 10 minutes to practice, which might be at bed time.  Just remember, something is better than nothing at all.

Practice Anywhere

     The practice of meditation is not restricted to lying on a bed or a couch.  Find your own personal island in which to retreat for a moment in time.  Be it a park bench, beach, mountain top, or your bath tub.

     The greatest lesson I have learned so far is to follow the adage “Patience is a virtue”.  Do not become discouraged if it takes many months to find a clear and calm mind.  Next time, we will discuss the health benefits of meditation. To get you started, I leave you with a YouTube video of meditation music.   ALOHA!!!!!

Tim